A bidirectional switch used in a power electronic circuit is an element which, under a first bias condition, allows a current to flow only in one direction and blocks a current in an opposite direction. Under a second bias condition different from the first bias condition, the above bidirectional switch blocks a current flow in the direction in which a current is allowed to flow under the first bias condition, and allows a current to flow in the direction in which a current flow is blocked under the first bias condition.
In addition, the above bidirectional switch has a configuration in which plural discrete devices (discrete semiconductors) are used, and in recent years, research is being conducted on a bidirectional switch formed as a single element and having a double gate structure (for example, see Patent Literature (PTL) 1). A decrease in the size of a device in which a bidirectional switch is used can be expected by forming a bidirectional switch as a single element, namely, one discrete device.